2025-02-05 - Channel 5 Belize

Ministry Responds to Belmopan Baptist Sickout

This morning, at least seven teachers at Belmopan Baptist High School called in sick as part of a protest. They’re upset over what they describe as unethical and disrespectful actions by the school’s administration. The teachers are also demanding an audit to investigate potential mismanagement of funds. Minister of Education Francis Fonseca has acknowledged the situation, stating that the Ministry is aware of the teachers’ concerns and is taking steps to address them.

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education

“ Yes, I’m aware of it. It was brought to my attention, I think on Monday and yesterday I asked the Deputy Chief Education Officer, Mrs. Cecilia Smith Ramirez, Ramirez Smith to go to the school to engage with them to meet with them. So I think it’s something that , she is working on. But we are aware of the issues and the concerns that have been raised. We are going to, of course, we have to as well work with the management and the board. You know, it’s not a government school. So we have to engage with the managing authority and the board. But yes, the ministry is actively looking into that matter.”

Ministry Condemns “The Ultimate Business University”

Last week, the Ministry of Education issued a warning about an entity called “The Ultimate Business University.” This organization claims it plans to bring five thousand students from the U.S. to Belize and hire a whopping thirty-five thousand teachers. It also asserts that it’s registered as an educational institution in Belize. However, the ministry clarified that this business is neither registered nor legally recognized in Belize and has no official ties to the Government of Belize. Earlier today, Minister of Education Francis Fonseca addressed the issue, emphasizing the importance of verifying such claims.

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education

“ I know it doesn’t sound to me at all feasible or logical, it’s just my view. Listen, I can tell you, we get lots of proposals from institutions all over the world. Every month you get one or two from all over the world. You don’t know who these people are, you don’t know anything about them. My own view is that would not be something we would do. consider at all, but they would have to make a, as I said, there’s a procedure in place. There’s a legal procedure in place for you to apply, especially if you want to open some offshore school. There’s a special regime in place, especially for those kinds of institutions because so many of them have been associated with scams. Fly by night institutions that are just taking people’s money. So we have to be extremely careful with those types of institutions. In fact, we, we’re looking to close down some that got licenses previously. Yeah, but that would have to be looked at carefully.”

GOB Implements New Transport Regulations at Border Points

The Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Transport, through the Department of Transport, has amended the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic (Regulation of Transport at Border Points) Regulations under Statutory Instrument No. 19 of 2025, published on February 3, 2025.

The amendments, developed in consultation with Corozal and Benque Viejo Municipal Authorities and Belizean commercial truck operators, address concerns over inadequate border transport regulations. Among the key changes is a reduction in road service charges, lowering the fee from $100 per vehicle axle to $30 per axle for both foreign-registered and Belizean-registered cargo transporters.

These reforms aim to increase revenue for border municipalities, which will be allocated to public road improvements and essential infrastructure projects. Additionally, the updated regulations will prevent fee evasion by foreign cargo transporters, ensuring a fairer system that safeguards Belizean businesses and strengthens the country’s commercial transport sector.

Minister of Transport Rodwell Ferguson said, “These updates demonstrate our commitment to strengthening Belize’s land transportation infrastructure while ensuring an efficient and transparent system for cross-border trade and travel.”

Minister Fonseca Responds Belmopan Baptist High School Sickout

A sickout by teachers at Belmopan Baptist High School has brought serious concerns over school leadership to the forefront. Minister of Education Francis Fonseca responded to the situation after it was reported that over half the teaching staff refused to show up for work today.

Fonseca stated that the ministry is aware of the issues unfolding at the school. “We are aware of the issues and the concerns that have been raised,” Fonseca said, and added that the ministry is actively addressing the matter with the school’s management and board.

The protest, which involved nine out of seventeen teachers, stems from long-standing grievances with the school’s administration. Teachers have expressed frustration over ‘constant disrespect,’ unlawful terminations, and intimidation.

One teacher told News 5 that the leadership under the current chairman is the cause of unresolved issues. The teachers allege unfair dismissals and staff manipulation have also surfaced.

They have demanded immediate changes to restore respect and fairness at the school.

No Election Date Announcement on Friday

In a legal exchange dated today, the Attorney General of Belize responded to a pre-action letter sent by Anand Ramlogan SC, representing three individuals—Jeremy Enriquez, Rudolph Norales, and Jessica Tulcey.

The letter sought clarification on whether the Prime Minister would announce the date for the upcoming general election during Parliament’s next sitting, scheduled for this Friday.

The claimants argue that holding elections with the outdated boundaries would be unconstitutional, as they violate Section 90’s requirement for equal voter distribution across districts.

The Attorney General’s office confirmed that the Prime Minister will not be announcing the election date at that session, nor will he advise the Governor General to dissolve Parliament on that date. This clarification addresses mounting public speculation regarding the election timeline.

The letter also outlined that “Courtenay Coye LLP is authorised to accept service of all communications and filings with respect to this matter on behalf of the Attorney General and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.” Meanwhile, “Marine Parade Chambers LLP is authorised to accept service of all communications and filings with respect to this matter on behalf of the Elections and Boundaries Commission.”

Belmopan Baptist High School Teachers Stage Sickout

Teachers at Belmopan Baptist High School are voicing strong dissatisfaction with its current administration, which has led to over half of its teaching staff staging a sickout today. Nine out of seventeen teachers refused to show up for work in protest against what they describe as ‘constant disrespect,’ unlawful terminations, and intimidation from the school leadership.

One teacher stated that the root of the problem is the chairman, claiming that it is under his leadership that changes have not happened and the issues persist. Teachers allege that the current administration mirrors the problems of the previous administrator, including unfair dismissals and manipulation of staff.

They also claim that their concerns are dismissed, with one teacher revealing that a letter from the chairman threatened job security if complaints continued.

The ongoing issues have caused staff division. Teachers have pointed to several incidents, including the wrongful termination of a 74-year-old employee. The protest is a direct response to these unresolved issues, and teachers are demanding immediate changes to restore respect and fairness at the school.

Legal Challenge Looms Over Belize Ahead of General Election

A group of Belizean voters has initiated legal action against the government over its failure to implement redistricting measures before the next general election. Jeremy Enriquez, Rudolph Norales, and Jessica Tulcey, represented by their legal counsel, are seeking constitutional redress over what they claim is a breach of their democratic rights under Section 90 of the Constitution.

The dispute arises from a 2019 consent order, in which the government and the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) acknowledged the need to redefine electoral district boundaries to ensure fairness and equality in representation. The EBC submitted its proposals in July 2023, which were incorporated into the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2024, tabled in the National Assembly in May 2024. However, despite its majority in Parliament, the government has not debated or passed the bill.

With political campaign activity increasing and the possibility of an imminent election announcement, the claimants argue that holding elections under the existing electoral boundaries would be illegal and unconstitutional. They contend that the outdated boundaries violate Section 90’s requirement that each division should have as equal a number of voters as possible.

Legal representatives for the claimants warn that proceeding with elections without implementing the redistricting changes could lead to a constitutional crisis, potentially invalidating the election results. The failure to update electoral boundaries, they argue, would constitute deliberate disenfranchisement and undermine the legitimacy of Belize’s democratic process.

The legal team has given the government until February 5, 2025, to confirm whether it intends to call elections without first passing the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2024. If the government fails to respond or refuses to commit to the necessary reforms, the claimants will file for constitutional redress and seek an urgent court order to block the election from proceeding under the current boundaries.

A special sitting of Parliament is scheduled for February 7, 2025.

Defamation Lawsuit Between LOO and PM Settled

In a resolution that puts a three-year legal battle to rest, Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition, will apologise to Prime Minister John Briceno following a defamation lawsuit. The lawsuit stemmed from comments made by Barrow on Channel 7’s Uncut in March 2022.

The Prime Minister, through his legal team at Courtenay Coye law firm, filed the defamation claim against Barrow. After lengthy negotiations, both parties reached an agreement, and the lawsuit was officially dismissed by the court.

The court order, handed down by Justice Rajiv Goonetilleke, states that Barrow did not intend to defame Briceno. The order further stipulates that Barrow must issue an apology for any “embarrassment or hurt” caused by his words. In return, once the apology is accepted, the matter will be dismissed, with both sides bearing their own legal costs.

Mother of Special Child Speaks Out on little Gabriel’s Death.

Kezia Young, the mother of an 8-year-old little girl who we have reported about previously, her name is Jenica Jenkins. She took to Facebook to share her experience and thoughts on this whole situation.

In an emotional Facebook video, Kezia Young, mother of 8-year-old Jenica Jenkins, expressed her outrage over the tragic death of a 6-year-old autistic boy from Stella Maris school. Yesterday, News 5 tracked little Gabriel’s steps as he was seen running down Belize City’s busy street alone.

In her video, Young criticised not only the police but the entire community for failing to intervene when the boy was clearly in distress.

She said that despite the presence of many people—including cyclists, drivers, and people walking—not a single adult stepped in to guide the child.

“As a society, blame unu self as a society—as a community— as a country, we failed that family, we failed that child,” Young said. “So much people mih dih out deh, and watch this this lee bwai dih run middle street. If unu mih even care as a society, unu mih wa realise that he was in a Stella Maris uniform.” A school dedicated for “differently abled kids,” she added.

She also lambasted the police for their lack of action when an off-duty police officer reportedly called 911 to report that Gabriel was seen alone in the streets.”

Speaking from her own experience as a mother of young Jenica, who was diagnosed with severe scoliosis and is also autistic, she said, “He might have been scared, more than anything; he might have been scared dih run dih street ina traffic by himself, and no one single adult stopped their care, no wah cyclist park pan dih side, nobody even try address the situation and simply take the little boy back to school.”

She pointed out the sad reality that she says has become a norm over time, seeing children walk the streets alone or walking to school alone. “Unu so comfortable sending kids to school by themselves, so comfortable allowing kids to go to the store by themselves,” she said.

Wear Blue on Thursday for Little Gabriel

On Thursday, February 6, all Belizeans are invited to come together to honour the memory of 6-year-old Gabriel Orellano by participating in the “Wear Blue for Gabriel” movement.

The campaign calls for wearing blue, sharing photos with the hashtag #BlueforGabriel, and advocating for stronger school safety measures and autism awareness following the tragic drowning of young Gabriel on Monday.

Garbiel, who was an autistic and mute student from Stella Maris in Belize City, managed to leave the campus unnoticed on Monday afternoon.

He wandered toward the seaside, where he tragically drowned. Gabriel’s father, Vidal Orellano, criticised the school’s handling of the situation, stating, “All of them, they shut up and stay quiet,” when he sought answers. Vidal also questioned the lack of security and how his son was able to leave the school grounds unnoticed.

Reports suggest that Gabriel’s body was discovered less than 30 minutes after an off-duty police officer noticed him alone on Wilson Street and contacted authorities.